POST-MATCH THREAD: Charlton Athletic v Preston Nth End: Saturday 11th April 2026: KO 15:00
Comments
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Remaining fixtures
Blackburn - 48
Southampton A
Coventry H
Sheff Utd A
Leicester H
West Brom 46
Preston A
Watford H
Ipswich H
Sheff Wed A
Pompey 45
Ipswich H
Leicester H
Coventry A
Stoke A
Birmingham H
Oxford 44
Derby A
Wrexham H
Sheff W H
Millwall A
Leicester 41
Pompey A
Hull H
Millwall H
Blackburn A3 -
Yesterday was a tough day of sport. Watching Charlton perform as they did and then Rory lose his 6 shot lead in the third round at Augusta.2
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For a team that struggles to score >1, we haven't managed 1-0 leads well in two games this week.In the latter stages of these home games, we have so many forwards in the box that we struggle to get off any clean attempts at goal. We might actually be helping the opposition by crowding the key zones!1
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Your comments on our midfield are (unfortunately) spot on. Coady makes a big difference so I hope he’s back for Sheffield Wednesday as his experience against a youth team should be a valuable asset.Blucher said:The pattern of home games is becoming tediously repetitive and highly worrying, having now clocked up 5 defeats in the last 6. We are overrun and out-passed in midfield, often concede a soft goal, throw forwards on from the bench towards the end and hurl the kitchen sink at the opposition, to no avail.
Three consecutive home defeats (the last two against very average and out of form opponents) have enabled Oxford and the other teams below us to close the gap and we are now very much at risk. The direction of travel is concerning and Ipswich and Hull will fancy their chances coming to The Valley later this month.
The net result is that there is big pressure on next Saturday’s game against Wednesday. A win at Hillsborough would certainly alleviate that pressure but, for a team now leaking goals and who have only scored more than one in 5 of our 42 league games thus far, that is far from a straightforward assignment.
We started the game well yesterday but couldn’t get the second goal and, once Preston scored with their first effort on goal, we were second best. They were able to run and pass through our midfield with ease, we looked vulnerable at the back and largely ineffective up front after that promising opening 20 minutes. The game finished, as it so often does now, with us pumping high ball after high ball into the opposition’s box, with Preston content to sit deep and look to spring us on the break.
Nathan doesn’t have too many options personnel wise and I don’t know whether Collins and Clarke will be fit to resume (although I thought that Fevrier did well in place of the latter). We might see Coady and Knibbs come back into midfield, as we looked far too porous in that area and Carey is hopelessly out of form.
We should still be ok but one thing’s for sure - we can’t rely solely on the ineptitude of the teams below us, most of whom (Leicester excepted) are showing signs of life. Towards the very end of 2019/20, Luton and Barnsley looked dead and buried with 4 or 5 games to go and look how that ended.
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We don’t set up to score.Alwaysneil said:Drives me insane. We play quite well, then go one up, or sometimes one down and even if oppo dont change their positioning significantly we seem to treat it as a signal to completely change our stlye of play. Whh not keep with what was working and score more goals?
any starting line up that doesn’t have Godden or Kelman in it isn’t likely to score unless there is a set piece that goes our way.
bringing one of them on when 60 minutes or so has passed isn’t going to be that effective if we’ve spent the previous 60 minutes or so knackering Dykes and then expecting him to carry on, run around, win balls and create openings to be exploited.
Expecting Carey, or Berry for that matter, to exploit openings and have a pop at goal is pointless if we are not creating those openings with an attack that continually pushes the opposition defence on to its back foot.
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I could debate this with you till the cows come home! We have so many low quality players for this level and that, along with some strange management choices and decisions by NJ is why we are where we are......sirjohnhumphrey said:I think we started well and there was a tweak to how we played with Chambers coming into midfield to allow TC to play wider, pushing JRC and Carey further forward. Fevrier looked positive at times and whilst we didn’t have decent chances we had decent opportunities that we just didn’t make the most of.
Their first goal was odd - seemed to take an age for the ball to land in the net and it knocked us.
The start of the second half was really poor starting with a bad pass from Mannion which gave the initiative to them.Their second came from Fullah being out muscled (not for the first time) and we are sin vulnerable to the counter.
Desperation stakes for the last 15 and we could and maybe should have snatched a draw.Still one win will do us and we have to go and take the initiative next week.
This division is interesting. I don’t think the quality of our players is necessary the issue it’s more our experience at this level and not having the nous, game knowledge and edge that is really needed. There are very few one dimensional players in this league like in league 1. The quality of player, even those who may be seen merely as stoppers or blockers have footballing ability.I think well be ok…but…6 -
We are unbeaten in last 6 away games I think we are trying to hard at home , snatching at chances … if we can the point next week we need hopefully we will see a more relaxed team
v Ipswich and Hull ..4 -
We have gained twelve points from eight games away from home since and including, Blackburn away, and haven't been beaten away since the Millwall game. In the ten home games since returning from Blackburn we have gained ten points from ten home games and lost six of those home games, won three and drawn one. The last time we scored more than one goal was at Leicester. I remember an interview with Jimmy Armfield whilst he was commentating on 5 live in which he was asked about certain teams being more successful away from home than on their own patch, Jimmy Armfield stated that, in his experience, it is because of a lack of quality in creating and taking chances against sides who naturally defend deeper when they are the away side. Charlton's 2026 home record is a reflection of Jimmy Armfield's comments.4
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There’s a bit of a myth that we’re a sound defensive side just because we set up that way. In reality, we’re the easiest team in the league to counter against. Same every week and nothing changes.
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I have got fingers and everything else crossed in the hope Coady can play next week.se9addick said:
Your comments on our midfield are (unfortunately) spot on. Coady makes a big difference so I hope he’s back for Sheffield Wednesday as his experience against a youth team should be a valuable asset.Blucher said:The pattern of home games is becoming tediously repetitive and highly worrying, having now clocked up 5 defeats in the last 6. We are overrun and out-passed in midfield, often concede a soft goal, throw forwards on from the bench towards the end and hurl the kitchen sink at the opposition, to no avail.
Three consecutive home defeats (the last two against very average and out of form opponents) have enabled Oxford and the other teams below us to close the gap and we are now very much at risk. The direction of travel is concerning and Ipswich and Hull will fancy their chances coming to The Valley later this month.
The net result is that there is big pressure on next Saturday’s game against Wednesday. A win at Hillsborough would certainly alleviate that pressure but, for a team now leaking goals and who have only scored more than one in 5 of our 42 league games thus far, that is far from a straightforward assignment.
We started the game well yesterday but couldn’t get the second goal and, once Preston scored with their first effort on goal, we were second best. They were able to run and pass through our midfield with ease, we looked vulnerable at the back and largely ineffective up front after that promising opening 20 minutes. The game finished, as it so often does now, with us pumping high ball after high ball into the opposition’s box, with Preston content to sit deep and look to spring us on the break.
Nathan doesn’t have too many options personnel wise and I don’t know whether Collins and Clarke will be fit to resume (although I thought that Fevrier did well in place of the latter). We might see Coady and Knibbs come back into midfield, as we looked far too porous in that area and Carey is hopelessly out of form.
We should still be ok but one thing’s for sure - we can’t rely solely on the ineptitude of the teams below us, most of whom (Leicester excepted) are showing signs of life. Towards the very end of 2019/20, Luton and Barnsley looked dead and buried with 4 or 5 games to go and look how that ended.
I suspect his professionalism and general know how is going to be absolutely vital to us getting a result at Sheff Wednesday.3 -
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It really frustrates me that we have everyone back when defending corners. No chance of us breaking away quickly like other teams do to us. Why not leave TC at least upfield? It will occupy two of theirs and keep their goalie back in his box. Preston’s was virtually on the halfway line when they had a corner yesterday.20
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I said last week: ‘Start the game with a mad, chaotic set up - surprise the opposition - get them on the back foot. Do something different ffs, because what we're doing isn't working.‘
Well it didn’t have to be ‘mad’ exactly, but instead of starting with a front footed lineup, we start a home match - against a team not exactly full of confidence, with one striker.Is it five losses from six home matches? If so, that’s unforgivable really.5 -
It felt good when we managed the 0-0, 1-0, 1-0 in the play-offs. The weaknesses of recruitment and not really growing as a team are showing now. We just need to get ourselves over the line now in any way possible.It would be a travesty if we managed to mess this up after being 9 points clear recently.4
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Me too. Was it during a world cup that one of the teams left three players on the half way line to negate their opposition's dangerous corners?Weegie Addick said:It really frustrates me that we have everyone back when defending corners. No chance of us breaking away quickly like other teams do to us. Why not leave TC at least upfield? It will occupy two of theirs and keep their goalie back in his box. Preston’s was virtually on the halfway line when they had a corner yesterday.1 -
We’d severely miss TC’s aerial dominance in the box.Weegie Addick said:It really frustrates me that we have everyone back when defending corners. No chance of us breaking away quickly like other teams do to us. Why not leave TC at least upfield? It will occupy two of theirs and keep their goalie back in his box. Preston’s was virtually on the halfway line when they had a corner yesterday.9 -
We did have them on the back foot for the first 10 minutesJamesSeed said:I said last week: ‘Start the game with a mad, chaotic set up - surprise the opposition - get them on the back foot. Do something different ffs, because what we're doing isn't working.‘
Well it didn’t have to be ‘mad’ exactly, but instead of starting with a front footed lineup, we start a home match - against a team not exactly full of confidence, with one striker.Is it five losses from six home matches? If so, that’s unforgivable really.5 -
Agree with a lot that has been posted, but the stand out for me is TC and his lack of motivation.
He should be brimming with skill and work rate. But instead he just wanders about shoulders slumped, looking like he can't wait to get away from us.
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I just don’t see that with TC. What I see is one of the only (maybe the only) players in our team who is willing to get on the ball and try and make things work. A couple of times in the first half yesterday Chambers played some excellent balls through their lines to TC, that’s entirely because TC is making a move to get into the right position to receive the pass. I don’t understand how that’s possible if he’s just wandering around with his shoulders slumped.usetobunkin said:Agree with a lot that has been posted, but the stand out for me is TC and his lack of motivation.
He should be brimming with skill and work rate. But instead he just wanders about shoulders slumped, looking like he can't wait to get away from us.It’s a very strange situation with Campbell and how divided our fan base are on him. He’s like one of those pictures a therapist holds up and asks “what do you see?”.14 -
I guess the only thing we can take away is that its still in our own hands...but there lies the problem...
Going into the last 8 games of the season we had 5 at home and 3 away, knowing we would have needed at one more win we would have taken that...however, our home form is pretty dire. Unfortunately out of those 5 home games, we've already played and lost the 3 where I thought we'd get at least one result.
Its likely that Ipswich will need to win at The Valley to seal promotion, especially if they get positive results in their next two games against Pompey then boro next Saturday.
Hull losing yesterday was a bad result for us, ideally we would like them to already be in the play-offs by the time they visit The Valley, so likely they will need a win from that game to secure their play-off place.
We do generally play better against top of the table sides at home, but very rarely get any points. Ipswich will cut through us so easily and I worry about that game from a goal difference perspective.
I guess maybe we've got an outside chance of getting something against Hull.
The only thing I'm clinging to is that, our away form is better than our home and we've got two away games against teams with nothing to play for. Swansea have only lost once (to Cov) in their last 12 home games.
Which does really bring it all back to next Saturday!
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TC's copping the overall fury of our tactics, poor attacking play and attempts at goal.
There's a much wider picture at play and worth analysing.4 -
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I don’t think he will be with us next season.usetobunkin said:Agree with a lot that has been posted, but the stand out for me is TC and his lack of motivation.
He should be brimming with skill and work rate. But instead he just wanders about shoulders slumped, looking like he can't wait to get away from us.0 -
Poor performance apart from Doc, Jones and TC. We just do not have anyone that can deliver a decent ball and that needs to be addressed this summer or we will fail to be a team that will score consistently again. My worry is that NJ does not prioritise that side of the game and is much more about keeping things tight. That works away from home but something needs to change at the Valley as it’s not working and it’s awful to watch.Other teams are running out of games to catch us but it’s getting a bit too close for comfort and I really can only see us getting points at Wednesday on our current form. I think we’ll stay up and knowing us we’ll scrape a draw with Ipswich or Hull.
Big moment this summer to see what our owners are really all about.1 -
Poor lad is made a scapegoat for everything, yes he can be frustrating at times but you are bang on with your assessment much wider issues. He will play at a higher level._uptheaddicks said:TC's copping the overall fury of our tactics, poor attacking play and attempts at goal.
There's a much wider picture at play and worth analysing.11 -
Agree he will be at a better Championship side and showing the ignorant boo boys what he can actually do.raytreacy said:
I don’t think he will be with us next season.usetobunkin said:Agree with a lot that has been posted, but the stand out for me is TC and his lack of motivation.
He should be brimming with skill and work rate. But instead he just wanders about shoulders slumped, looking like he can't wait to get away from us.3 -
christ, thats torn it - its looking increasingly about what us and oxford do now and what you've just pointed out is not good - next week at wednesday is massive - win that and we can get the beach towels out - lose it and we are in serious bother - as others have said though - you get wins when you don't expect it - or we certainly do - and lose when u don't so who knows - i think we will just about do itMrBurns said:
Oxford have Wednesday to play and Millwall last game of the season. If Millwall have playoffs secured they will rest players for that gameCharlton and on said:4 to go, 5 above the drop. Highly unlikely Oxford win 50% of their games. Even more unlikely that Leicester win 75%.
We should still get a couple more points too. You get points in unexpected places in football and sometimes lose when you thought you might win.
I hope the players have more character than the bed wetters on here.1 -
Feeling pissed off this morning after a night where my sleep has been disturbed by worry about relegation.3
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It won't be a travesty, it will be a self inflicted eff up._uptheaddicks said:It felt good when we managed the 0-0, 1-0, 1-0 in the play-offs. The weaknesses of recruitment and not really growing as a team are showing now. We just need to get ourselves over the line now in any way possible.It would be a travesty if we managed to mess this up after being 9 points clear recently.8 -
I believe that at the moment Carey is very much a passenger in the 10 role and that is inviting pressure on us, on the break especially.Fevrier couldn’t get a kick for a l1 team this year and had to start yesterday - we are just lacking quality in certain areas and it was never more obvious to me than when we had all the possession towards the end. Regardless of all this, I STILL think we have it a good go and a draw would have been fair0
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If only the club worried as much about your lack of sleep...😉jose said:Feeling pissed off this morning after a night where my sleep has been disturbed by worry about relegation.0
